Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Clothes...

So, I have reached the point where my clothes are becoming too big. Probably not too big to wear with the help of belts, but too big to say, look like they fit. And that's fine. I'd really prefer not to wear a 12 on bottom (and my Gap 10s are getting too big too!), so I am more or less content to be smaller than my favorite jeans. It's just that, well, I liked my clothes. And I've really been the same size for my whole post-pubescent life, so all of my clothes are roughly the same size. And all of the pants* are too big.

Plus, I really don't want to buy new clothes. I'm trying very hard not treat shopping as a hobby, I am not done losing weight, and my bountiful closet contains plenty of clothes that look more or less OK on me.

Question: Do I get rid of my clothes as I shrink out of them? I am tempted to sell them on ebay/at resell shops to fund new clothes acquisition, but I am inclined to think that it makes sense to box them up for a while and sell them after I've successfully maintained my weight loss for a pre-determined period.



*Please note that my shirts mostly fit fine. I don't know if a day will ever come where a size large top is too big.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Sonoma Diet Tuna Salad, I love you.

Oh, tuna salad. I haven't really given you your due in the past-- I thought you were boring! Kind of gross, even (except for the delicious Whole Foods Market cranberry tuna, previously blogged about here). I was wrong.

My diet has taken me on a tour of tuna salad sandwiches in LA-- I've tried the two different tuna salads on offer at Clementine, the basic and the deluxe, and I have to say, I prefer the basic! The tuna salad at Urth is quite tasty too, though inferior to Clementine's. If only Clementine's were open on Sunday...

Anyway, for dinner last night and for lunch today, I've enjoyed the Sonoma Diet's classic Tuna Salad recipe, and holy mother, it is top-notch. I even bought sweet pickle relish, a condiment I have previously felt no need for.

1 - 3 oz can of tuna, water packed*
1 tbs mayo**
1 tbs finely chopped celery
1 tbs finely chopped red onion
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
1 tsp pickle relish
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Dash kosher salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
Dash garlic powder
Dash Worcestershire sauce

*I used olive oil-packed Italian Yellowtail Tuna, because that's what I had in the pantry.
**I used half the suggested amount of mayo because a) I don't care for it very much and b) I used oil-packed tuna so I figured this balanced out.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

I RAN A MILE!!!

A whole mile. Without stopping, in 11 and a half minutes. It was amazing.

Running is probably one of my most hated activities; in fact, I haven't done it at least a year-- likely more. I certainly haven't run a mile without stopping in longer-- I am fairly certain the last time was in college. Which was a... while ago.

Not smoking+losing 20 lbs=running more enjoyable? Not ready to go that far, but I might try this running thing again.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Mmm, 90+ degree weather and soup!

I would like summer to go back from whence it came. Record April highs do not a happy Ruth make. As protest, I have eaten soup for the past two dinners. Already made soup that I had frozen a few weeks prior. Mostly because it meant no cooking, but also, because it is a truly delicious soup, a Sonoma Diet-style Spaghetti-Os, except more like my memory of Spaghetti-Os (delicious) and less like the Spaghetti-O reality (disgusting).

Thus, I present to you the inelegantly named Turkey Sausage-Garbanzo Bean Soup with Pasta.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 9-11 minutes Makes: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

6 ounces uncooked Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chopped fresh sage or 2 t. dried sage, crushed
2 T. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed
3 14-oz cans low sodium chicken broth
1 15 - 16 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup tomato paste (1/2 of a 6 oz. can)
3/4 cup uncooked elbow or any other small size multigrain or whole wheat pasta
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender. Stir in sage and rosemary; cook over low heat for 1 minute (do not brown herbs).
2. Stir in broth, garbanzo beans, the water and tomato paste. Bring to boiling. Stir in uncooked pasta. Simmer, uncovered, for 9 to 11 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season to taste with pepper.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

OMG Exercise Jackpot

As I lay hungover on the couch, surfing the 'net and thinking occasionally of exercise, I made a pretty sweet discovery. Netflix Watch Instantly has about a bazillion exercise videos! I'm not generally an at-home exerciser, but I am motivated by good deals which this certainly is.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Friends, Countrymen.

I have lost OVER 20 lbs, which is to say, not quite 21 lbs. I am pretty blown away. Big pat on the back, Ruth!

Do not be alarmed, I'm not even within spitting distance of skinny. I can, however, hock a loogie all over BMI "normal." Watch out, fat girls on tv, I am fast approaching your size!!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Nibbles

One area that I have identified as "needing work" in my skinny future is my total inability to eat A LITTLE while in a surrounded by snacks situation. I can not eat nibbles when they are present, but I cannot seem to manage eating just a little.

Oh, yes, the other factor here is definitely booze. Drinking, hanging out with friends, and not snacking with abandon? Is that possible?

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Statistics

I have lost 18.8 lbs total, which is 0.39 lbs a day, for an average of 2.74 lbs a week. Since beginning the less restrictive wave two 38 days ago, I have been averaging a 1.58 lb loss per week. Not bad, especially considering I take two meals "on hiatus" a week.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Exercise!

This week has included:
Gym on Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday
Yoga Booty Ballet on Thursday
Nothing today

And will hopefully include:
Yoga on Saturday
Hike on Sunday.


Big pat on the back for me.

And that's right, I said "yoga booty ballet." I'm not embarrassed. Well, not embarrassed to say it on my blog, I'd sure be embarrassed if you were to spy on me in class. I am pretty lousy at coordination and things where you try to combine movement and rhythm. Or leg and arm motions. Or actually, walking. So it should be no surprise that I am a complete and utter disaster when it comes to yoga booty ballet. But the music is awesome, the workout is intense, and the teacher tells us that it is a judgment-free zone, so I shake my not-as-nice-as-everyone-else's-ass with a... degree... of abandon.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Christina Hendricks

OK, I think I have set a goal. Unfortunately, it is as of yet unquantifiable. I think I will shoot for Christina Hendricks (Joan on Mad Men)'s measurements, which I believe are similar to my own, except mine are better protected from the elements. With fat. Unfortunately, I can't find her measurements online, except some 36-32-36 which cannot possibly be correct, because my current measurements are 41-32-41, and I can assure you, she is not packing my belly into those dresses. Plus, it's obvious that there is a more than 4 inch difference between her hips and waist. So, internet, tell me Christina Hendricks' measurements, weight (she says in page 6 that she is "much heavier" than 115 lbs--hey, me too!), dress size, or any quantifiable number I can strive for.

90% of the woman I used to be

Today marks the day in which I celebrate the fact that I have lost 10% of my body weight. I've been on the Sonoma Diet for 7 weeks and 1 day. I haven't set an end goal, but I am officially at skinniest remembered weight, and about 4 lbs from BMI normal territory. The next milestone after that will be high school weight (8 lbs to go), and after that I am not really sure.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Blogging instead of lunching

Today for lunch I get to have one of my favorite Sonoma Diet lunches, the Steak and Blue Cheese wrap, recipe follows below.

This is what you get to make from the leftovers of my favorite Sonoma Diet dinner (I think-- the Wave One meal of Mediterranean flank steak and Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers, Olives and Goat Cheese).

I am mixing in a few wave one days this week to make up for my recent overindulgence. Or just revisiting past favorites. Yum.

Recipe!

3 ounces leftover grilled flank steak, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded romaine or whole fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese
1 8-inch whole wheat flour tortilla

1. Arrange sliced beef, romaine, roasted bell pepper strips, and blue cheese on top of the tortilla. Roll up (tortilla will be very full).

Nutrition Facts per serving: 390 cal., 19 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 46 mg chol., 775 mg sodium, 21 g carbo., 13 g fiber, 33 g pro. Copyright 2009 Waterfront Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Body changes

Folks, I have got to tell you, my ass and thighs are really changing. This morning I noticed that the sous-ass, the fat pockets directly below either ass cheek, have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Still there in skeletal form, but may reappear in a Steven Spielberg movie at any time. *hi-hat*

As you might imagine, I now walk around, patting the backs of my thighs and marveling at their relative bumplessness. I also had an "OMG is my back covered in tumors?" moment over the weekend but it turns out those are just my ribs...

In other body news, my belly is definitely less... abundant but might still uncharitably be called corpulent. Never fear, my friends, the bust remains epic.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Driver's License Weight!

Folks, sometime between yesterday and today, I reached and then passed my outright lie of a driver's license weight. That's right, I now weigh LESS than 170 lbs (169.8 lbs). However, that may be a temporary thing as this afternoon I must go to Father's Office for a birthday celebration and it might be rude to skip out on a burger. But my new life in the 160s is powerful motivation.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Exercise...

I am giving myself a big pat on the back for going to the gym over my lunch. I'm not able to go after work this week, and figured a half-assed lunchtime workout is better than nothing. Probably true, but some lunchtime sweating is not exactly desirable.

Plus, since I really didn't have time for a post-workout shower, I kept it fairly low-key. Which made me feel like a gym slacker. Then, I felt ashamed in the locker room for not taking a shower. I mean, I had to go back to work! With people (who are often smelly themselves).

So, lunchtime gym=greater anxiety than regular gym.